Obesity has become a major problem throughout the world, but especially in the United States of America. Even though obesity has recently become much more prominent, it has been of concern for many years. In just a matter of two years, from 2013 to 2015, the percentage of adults that are considered to be obese rose tremendously. The number of states that had an adult obese percentage of over thirty-five percent rose from two states to four; and the total number of states that had an adult obese percentage between thirty and thirty-five percent rose from eighteen states to twenty-one. It is not just the adults being affected by obesity, however, it is also kids all across America as well. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, …show more content…
Rushing speaks on how fast food restaurants are one of the main reasons why so many Americans are considered to be obese. However, Rushing finds that there are many more causes of obesity than just fast food restaurants alone. These causes are: lack of knowledge on what a healthy diet is, the poor only being able to afford fatty foods and fat processed food, poor nutrition in schools, and the lack of government control on foods that can lead to obesity. Even though these causes are a major problem in causing obesity, they are not the only problem. Jacqueline Smith, a Harlem resident interviewed for this documentary, tells about how adults can be partially to blame for their children not choosing a healthier alternative to eat. She explains that when children see adults choosing to eat unhealthy foods, they also start to make those decisions in imitation of those adults. This is considered to be the Social Cognitive Theory and it states that “behavioral learning occurs socially through observation and imitation” (Mattson and Hall 230). In other words, this means that when young people observe adults making unhealthy eating choices, they too will do the same. These choices soon become habits, and once they become habits they are extremely hard to break. Theses habits are what lead to obesity, which can lead to health problems and some other problems you might not think